Shrub protector



March 14, 1933. w CARPENTER 1,901,700

, SHRUB PROTECTOR Filed July 6, 1951 Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES.

EDWARD w. CARPENTER, or FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOIR. TO THE-E. CARPENTER MANUFACTURING 'COMPAIIY,JOE BRIDGEPOR-T, oomvncrrcur a con- PORATION. OF CONNECTICUT srmun rnorno'ron Application fiie'axui t, 1931. Serial no; 548541. I

the line 7 er rig. eandlwking in the This invention relates. to new and useful improvements in shrub protectors. I

An object of the invention is to provide'a shrub protector which is practically invisible and therefore not unsightly.

Another object'is to provide a shrub protector which will not injure dogs but which will keep them away from shrubs, trees or the like and which will not tear clothes or injure persons. V p

Another object is to provide a device as and for the purpose stated and which will not interfere with the keeping of a lawn, as

the mowing thereof, and which is so-constructed that any desired number of the devices may be used about a tree or shrub.

An additional object is to provide a shrub protector which is eflicient for the purpose intended and which is very inexpensive to manufacture and may therefore be sold ,at a low price. e a 7 Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration ofthe following detailed description'taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein satisfactory embodiments of thejinvention are shown. However, it should beunderstood that the invention'is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope'of the appended claims to which claims reference should be had for a definition of the invention.

In the drawing: a

Fig. 1 is an elevational view showingtwo of the protectors in position about a tree or shrub; v

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the protector;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view thereof;

F ig. 4 is a detail view on an enlarged scale showing the connection between the wires and the support forming the improved shrub protector;

Fig. 5 is a plan view on an enlarged scale showing the connection between the w res ,ig. 7, is view taken substantially along sli direction of the arrows;

' Fig. '8- is a sectional view on of Fig.v 6 and looking in the direction of. the arrows; l Fig. 9

further modifiediorm of protector;

Fig. 13 is a Fig. l2;'and;

Fig. 1a is aview showing plan view of the protector "of a m n f isa' view showing the :not'ched upper portion 'of the' supportofFig. 6;

the line mounting the protector over a walker the like. l

Referring in detail tothe drawing and ,first. particularly to Figs. 1 through 5 inclusive, the improved shrub protector is shown as comprising a suppgbrtlb prefer ably transversely I curvedand pointed or sharpened at one end as at16'w'herebyitmay be pressed into the ground. This support 15 is prov ded at its upper end with la plurality of spaced notches 17 the purp ose ,of which wlll'later. appear. a point below its. up.-

per end the support is lanced' and has a strap like therefrom.

"Mounted on the pport 15 is a plurality member 18 pressed rearwardly l of relatively fine highly flexible wires19. I

The lower end portions 2010f the wires are inserted between the body of the support and the strap-like'member 18 andthe said member is then pressed in the direction of the support whereby to clamp the end portions of the wires to the support. Above the end portions the wires 19 maybe looped or curved tQ provide intermediate outwardly and upwardly extending portions 21, and the wires beyond the lpiortion 21 are bent to, extend substantially horizontally as at22.

It will be notedthat the portions lofthe wires immediately above the lower end porj 'tions 20 pass through the no ches'li initghe v upper'end of the support andare thereby held against turning'movement on the sup- 7 port. Further, if'the support is transverse- 1y curved the notches 1'7 will direct the wires radially of the support Therefore,

while .the wires are relatively'close at their inner ends the end portions 22 are spaced a considerable distance apart and each protector willtherefore take care ofqor protect about onequarter of a tree or shrub; Four of the protectors could be used about a tree or shrub standing by itself, but when the plant to be protected is against a house or the like but two protectors will be needed.

From what has been said it will be understoodthatthe improved protector is erected by pressing the pointed end 16 of the support 15 into theground whereby to properly dispose'theprotector relative to a tree or shrub 23 '(see' Fig. 1 The wires 19am bowedas at. 21 in order that'the device may be placed close to shrubs or trees having low branches and in this connection it to "be understood that ,while the, device 1s described as 'a shrub protector it maybe used to protect flowers; trees or the like.

1 over, the-wires being very flexible will not erably .be Parkerized. Since Parkerizing" device will be 'quiteinvisible.

injure a. personand will not'tearadress or do other damage. 7 Also since 'the wires are very thin they are practicallyinvisible, and to keep the device from rusting it will pretturns steelblack and the wires are small the does not present an'unsightly appearance as is the case with wire fences.

Obviously v the devioefis easily applied and may be moved aboutv from place to place i as required. Further it will'be seen that the wires" are disposediabove, the ground so as notfto interfere with the keeping of a V7 lawn or'the' like land that it is possible 'to 1 work beneath the wires and passa lawn mower beneath them, and it is not therefore. necessary to remove the protectors each'time a lawn is mowed 'or trimmed.

In Figs Gthrough 9 the improved pro- 'tector is shown as including support 25 formed of flat'material and having" a point-' edfend 26 to be pushed into the ground.

At its upper end the support 25 hasa rela tively wide notchf27 adapted'to receivea plurality of wires arranged in side by side relationship. Two sets of wires numbered- 'respectively 28'and 29 are mountedbn the. support 25 and each wire. has fits inner o'rf lower endpassedbeneath a strap-like mem- 'b'er 30lan ced and pressed from the support.

' Afterthe endsof the wires have been'passed beneath the strap-like member 30; the same is pressed inthe direction of the body of the t. therefore support to clamp the wires to the support. On passing through'the notch 27 the two outside wires 28 are crimped or bent as 'at 31 whereby they incline indifferent directions and thetwo wires 29 are also crimped or bent although to a lesser degree than the H 7 outside wires 28. The third wire 28 or the middle wire 28' IlQSQ-IIOtflbQ ,crim-ped orbent;

,Withthe wires bent and-extending radially" of the support as probably v best shown in Fig. 7 it will be appreciated that the outer ends of the wiresare spaced apart a considerable distance whereby an appreciable" area will be protected by the device."

7 QTheintermediate or bowed portions 32 of the wires 28 are shown as of'gr eater length than the intermediate'or bowed p'ortions'33 of the wires '29, Therefore, the substan tially horizontally disposed end portions .34

ofthe wir es 28 are arranged above 'or' at a greater distance from the ground than'fare the portions 35 of the wires 29. The pu'r pose of this arrangement or the reason for this arrangement is'that the lower wires or I dogs while the longer wires or the wires 28 v the shorter. wires will take care of little will serveto keep: away larger dogs.

Figs. 10 and 11 discl'osefa' fiatfsupporting 1 member 36 having a strap-like memberf37 lanced and pressed therefrom to receive and hold the end portions 38 ofthewiresi 39. At

its upper end the support 36is provided with spacednotches 40' toreceive portions ll outside wires 39 are bent or crimpedimmediately before andafter passing through the notches 40 whereby to have the wires diverge and dispose their outer ends" in paced relation in'order that theprotector (may serve to protect appreciablearea.

The notches 4b0, offcourse, serveto prevent the wires 39 turning 'onthe support.

[of thewires'39 and it will be noted that the i .Figs. 12"and 13 show afprotector particu-f I larlyadapted for-use in-{connection with flowers. This protector includes a support 42 formed 'of'flat material and havinga pointed end 43 adapted to be pressed into the ground. Wires 44. arecarried by the support 42 and have their Lower'end .po'rt ons passed beneath a strap-like member 45 corresponding with the strap-like" members 18, 30 and 37 before referred to- Thewires 4E4; arenot bowed but, extend vertically" and have their upper end portions 46' disposed in diverging, relationship and. radially with respectto the sup.port.

1 It will be, understood that each of the various protectors maybe formed of steel and Parkerized to blacken it and prevent rust, and itwill turther'be understood that 1t is preferred that the'wires be of. small diameter and somewhat pointed at? their free ends andof flexible nature so as not to cause any serious ingu'ry either toper's'ons orto dogs and so as not to tear clothes, but

be sufficiently sharp to'sting a dog{ sufliciently so he will not like it and will eep away.

Fig. 14 discloses the mounting of the improved protector shown as the protector of Figs. 12 and 13, in a block 47 which may be of wood or concrete or of metal. This form of mounting may be used in preference to sticking the supporting element into the ground should it be feared that the element might cut roots or the like in any particular instance or the supporting block 47 may be used whenit is necessary to mount the pro tector above a walk or other surface into which the support may not be pushed- I It will of course be evident that, although the laterally extending portions 22, 34, 35 and 46 are shown as being straight, the same effect would be secured if they are somewhat curved so long as the pointed end extends laterally so as to give the desired contact with a dog to keep him away.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what Iclaim is 1. In a shrub protector, a support, a plurality of wires each having-an end anchored to said support, each of said wires including a bowed intermediate portion extending outwardly and upwardly from said support and a free end portion extending from the intermediate portion and radially and outwardly of the support. V v

2. In a shrub protector, a support, a plurality of wires mounted on said support, and each of said wires including an intermediate portion extending upwardly from the support and a free end portion extending from the intermediate portion and radially and outwardly with respect to the support.

3. In a shrub protector, a support to be positioned adjacent the shrub, a plurality of wires mounted on the support, each of said wires having a free end portion extending laterally with respect to said support and outwardly away from the shrub, and said support comprising an element pointed at one end and adapted to be partially pressed into the ground. a

4. Ina shrub protector, a support, .a plurality of wires mounted on said support, said support having a notched upper end, one of said wires having a portion extending through the notch whereby the wire is held against turning movement on the support, and each of said wires having a free end portion extending laterally with: re-

spect to the support.

5. In a shrub protector, a support, a plurality of wires mounted on said support, said support having a plurality of spaced notches in one of its ends,each of said wires arranged with a portion in one of said notches whereby the wiresare held against turning movement on the support and each of said wires having a free end portion extending laterally with respect'to the supnotches in one of its gends, said support 7 pointed at its other end and adaptedto be".

pressed into the ground, each of said wires arranged with a portion in one of said' notches whereby the wires are held against turning movement on the support, and each of said wires having'a free end portion ex- I tending laterally of the support.

7. In a shrub protector, a support, a plurality of wires mounted on said support, said support having a pluralityofspaced notches in one of its ends, said supportpointed at its other end and adapted to be partially pressed into the ground, each of said wires arranged with a portion extending through one of said notches whereby the'wires are he'ldagainst turning movement on the support, and said support transversely curved at its notched end whereby to cause the wires to extend radiallyof the support when portions of the wires are in the said notches.

In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature. 

